27 July 2009

On Sunday 17th of May, the sixth annual PinkPower Walk took place. This year's walk was slightly different from previous years as it was a 16-mile walk (setting out from Richmond Park and finishing in Barnes), whereas in previous editions it was either a marathon or half-marathon event. I am pleased to announce that an amazing £160,000 has been raised from this year's walk, with money raised going to two charities, Breakthrough and the Caron Keating Foundation, both of which raise funds for research into breast cancer.

What is the PinkPower Walk?

The PinkPower Walk came to exist after a I and a group of five other women applied to take part in another breast cancer fundraising event, only to be not given a place. Far from discouraging us, this disappointment actually inspired us to set about creating our own event and with the cooperation and participation of friends and family, we were able to gather together 38 participants for the first walk, raising approximately £39,000…

The team...The team consists of six friends: Anne, Cathy, Christine, Hester, Rhiannon and myself. Two of the original team members have since relocated; Libby, who has returned to Canada but continues to make an annual visit to London in order to participate, and Kate, who now lives in the north of England but who is hoping to set up a northern PPW event. It may seem like a cliché, but it is surprising what can be achieved when a group of women get together around a kitchen table.

It is a close-knit team; we have laughed and cried together and probably discussed most topics under the sun while organising the annual walk. I think that what really draws everyone together is the fact that all who participate are volunteers, giving up their time to come and support such a worthwhile cause.

Some figures...

During the walk's six-year history, we have raised more than £600,000 for the two charities. We have been to the breast cancer research centres in London to see how and where this money has been spent and it is comforting to know that all of the participants and their sponsors are playing a part in finding a cure for this horrible disease. In short, I am very proud to be a part of this event. Roll on 2010!